Kenny Tete has emerged as a new target to fill the right-back slot for the club and reports suggest that Everton are advanced in negotiations. The Dutch international will leave Fulham as a free agent this summer.
Reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano has reported that the Blues have a verbal agreement with the player and formal steps will follow to finalise the signing once his contract expires at the end of the month.
At 29 years of age, Tete is a far cry from the Blues’ recent forays into the veteran right-back market (cough cough Kyle Walker). However, the chance to bring in a proven Premier League player for virtually no cost and on low wages is too good an opportunity to pass on. Especially considering the need to sign several players to fill the squad ahead of the club’s first season at their new waterfront stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.
Tete has spent five years at Fulham, where he has been indispensable for the Cottagers. Signed from Lyon in 2020, Tete has made 121 appearances for the club and has scored four goals and registered 10 assists. However, his stay in West London has been marred by injuries.
Kenny Tete’s injury record
The Dutch international’s first season at Fulham was less than stellar as he missed 22 matches due to a calf injury and coronavirus as the Cottagers got relegated from the Premier League.
He missed 16 games during the 2021/22 season but helped his side win the Championship and earn their ticket back to the top flight.
Tete was out for a month the following season after sustaining a knock and missed six matches during that period.
During the 2023/24 season, he had groin and achilles tendon problems, which caused him to miss 10 matches.
Last season, Tete missed 19 games due to a knee injury and was out for half of the season.
While the injury record may cast a shadow of doubt, signing Kenny Tete as a free agent has virtually no downsides. He is fantastic at reading the game, wins most of his defensive duels and his consistency is unbelievable. He's also of the right age and if the signing doesn't work out, will reserve resale value.
Tete might have played more than 25 Premier League games in a season just once during his five years at Fulham but when available, he has been nothing short of spectacular. In fact, the Blues could use several more deals like this to bolster and add depth to the squad while saving money to buy talented forwards who will make a difference.
The right-back slot was a real headache last season. Having 39-year-old Ashley Young and 36-year-old Seamus Coleman didn’t help, as the latter spent most of the season on the sidelines. Nathan Patterson was also not up to the task, leading Moyes to deploy Jake O’Brien as a makeshift right-back during the latter stages of the season.
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